The present invention relates generally to a mechanism for limiting or preventing ice accretion and ingestion in a pump and relates more specifically relates to an impeller spinner for a fuel pump.
Low flow and low temperatures can cause small quantities of water in a liquid fuel to freeze and cause ice accumulation in a fuel system. A stagnation zone or zone of low flow can be present at an inlet of a fuel pump. When the fuel pump is operating at sufficiently low temperatures, the stagnation zone can cause ice accretion and build-up of snowball-like clusters of ice at the inlet. While a small amount of ice can be ingested by the fuel pump, the ingestion of larger snowball-like clusters of ice can block the flow of fuel through the pump. Reduction of the size of the stagnation zone can lower the rate at which ice accretes and is ingested by the fuel pump, thereby limiting or preventing blockage. Anti-icing is of particular importance in the aerospace industry where fuel systems are often operated in low temperatures. However, the problem is not limited to the aerospace industry or to liquid fuels.